Injured
by Darth Taktiker of Narnia
Summary: KotOR Just a short of Oryn and Carth on Tatooine. She doesn't realize who she is yet! This was my first stop in the game, so, in the story, this is THEIR first stop after Dantooine! Review!
1. Sand People and Jawas

"**_Jawa trade language."_**

'_Thoughts of character._' (Which you'd think is obvious…)

**{Area/place/person(s)}**

* * *

**{Tatooine/ Sand Doons/ Carth & Oryn}**

"Gah!" Carth shouted angrily, placing his hands to his head, as if to block out everything. "That's it! I'm heading back to the Ebon Hawk!" With that, he turned around and stalked off; leaving Oryn standing there, steam practically coming out her ears in agitation.

"Fine! Be that way!" She screamed at his retreating form.

Another conversation had not ended well at all, but this time, Carth actually left. He left her to watch out for her own self, and that suited her just fine.

_'I'd rather be by myself that with a stubborn, pig-head! Can't even listen to me when I'm trying to be nice to him!_' She snorted in anger.

* * *

Carth stoked off back to Anchorhead. '_That girl needs to learn when NOT to bring things up! Not everyone wants to share their past! Not everyone wants people in their privacy! Why can't she learn to respect that?_'

_'Because she's her. She wants to help, and thinks that if people share it, she can help them burden it. Which isn't as crazy as I want to think it is.'  
_Stopping his tracks, he took a deep breath and let out all his anger with it. _'She's just trying to help._'

A scream of pain shot through the endless desert. Carth turned immediately towards the sound of the agonized sound; back the way he came.

Fear shot through him, pumping adrenalin through his veins as he ran over the sand. _'Please don't be Oryn! Please don't be Oryn!_'

Unfortunately, his prayers were ignored, and he found Tusken Raiders hunched over a feminine body with hair like the sand.  
Without a word, Carth blasted one and they all ran. He rushed to the body that lay perfectly still on the sand. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach when he looked in her face.

It was Oryn. She had a cut on her forehead that disappeared into her hair. But the wound that most likely made her scream was the deep gash going into her side. Carth nearly gagged at the sight when he tore open the blood-soaked clothes to get a better look.  
Pulling out a medpack, Carth bunched up the gauze and carefully pressed it to her side. She gasped in pain and arched her back off the sand. Her breathing became ragged as he applied more pressure. He hated himself for it. The more painful her gasps sounded, the more he hated himself.

All too soon, he ran out of gauze and he didn't know what to do.

The sound of chattering and shuffling of cloth, made Carth become protective and he pulled his blaster on whoever was behind him. He stopped himself from shooting just in time, because it was a group of Jawas, not Tusken Raiders.

**_"We know you."_** They said, not in common, but the trade language, which was still difficult for Carth to understand. **_"You help us! We help you!"_** The group moved to surround Oryn, and they all worked together to pick her up and carried her away from Anchorhead. Carth followed as the Jawas walked past the safety of the Czerca poles. Not far off, Carth could see one of their sand crawlers.

Inside the Sand Crawler was hot, but not as bad as outside. The Jawas gently laid Oryn down, and began calling to the others. They spoke in their natural language, so Carth had no chance of making out what they were saying. More scattered from other places in the Sand Crawler carrying items such as cloth, a little bit of water, and some kind of fruit that he had never before seen.

They tore off what clothes she had on her torso, making Carth stiffen and blush madly because she now only wore a sports bra that thankfully didn't reveal too much cleavage. With clear view of her torso, Carth gasped at how many scares covered her arms and stomach. Some were newer and some looked older than when he had dragged her out of the escape pod on Taris.  
**_"We can only heal the cut that takes her life."_** One of the Jawas informed him.

'_...takes her life..._' Carth repeated in his mind, guilt consuming him. '_If I had just stayed with her, I could have protected her from those monsters. ...But it did look like she was following me..._' This thought only made him feel worse.

"**_You care for her if you want_****."** Another said. Carth merely looked at him confused, and the little Jawa moved to stand behind her head, and made motions with his hand as if he were stroking her hair. **_"Make feel better."_**

_'Make her feel better or me?'_ He wondered. Carth hesitantly moved around the Crawler and knelt down by Oryn's head, where the Jawa stood moments before. Haltingly he moved his hand to her hair and slowly stroked it. His hand flew away when she gasped in pain. He looked up, and realized that it was pain from the gash and not from him.

'_Directly_.' He looked to her face as he began stroking her soft hair again.

* * *

It had been an agonizingly long while before the Jawas turned to him again.

"**She be fine with rest we think. Take her home. We do all we could.**" Carth nodded. Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out a few credit, but the Jawa chief put both his small hands on his fist and stopped his hand before he could give the credits.

**"****_She friend. We do for free. No trade accept."_**Carth used all his will power to say two words. "Thank you."

He gently slid his arms under Oryn and slowly pulled her to his chest. Her torso was wrapped in cloth, but underneath that was peels from the fruit, which apparently stopped infection and kept it clean.

Carth exited the Crawler and walked slowly to the Anchorhead so he would jolt the injured person in his arms. He only hoped he could get back without being attacked.


	2. Dreams and Nightmares

**{Tatooine/Ebon Hawk/Carth & Oryn}  
**

It was late into the night by the time Carth had reached the docking bay where rested the Hawk. Quietly, Carth made his way through the Hawk, making as much noise as a mouse, not that whatever notice he did make was cover by Giza's croaking. Again, not loud enough to wake anyone.

He gently made his way to the captain's quarters, which everyone decided was fair to let Oryn have. The doors opened with a hushed swoosh, and Carth carefully made his way to the bed on the left wall. He eased Oryn out of his arms and onto the bed. He froze like a statue when she shifted onto her side, and curled into herself. He held his breath until he was sure she wouldn't wake up, and quietly tiptoed backwards out of the room.

The door swooshed closed, and Carth leaned back against it for support. Dragging his hand down his face, he sighed. With what little energy he HADN'T spent, he shuffled his way to the men's sleeping quarters on the portside of the ship.

Carth leaned on the wall next to his bed for support as he kicked off his boots, and then preceded to crawl under his covers for some sleep, whether it was restful or not.

It was not.  
-

**{Dream-Memory/Taris}  
**  
The escape pod had just blown out of the Endar Spire and was now on course for Taris. Carth did his best to try and keep it from a collision, but for the moment, he would do with "stable". The pod shook and kicked violently against the atmosphere they were being dragged through.

Carth clenched his jaw and held the controls tight until his knuckles were white. He risked a side glance at the only other life form in the pod, and saw her small hands holding the belt across her chest in a death grip. Her eyes showed fear at the quickly approaching planet surface. Her chest didn't move and her lips were a thin white line.

Glancing back at the instruments, Carth determined their possible landing place. Upper City; if they were lucky. Then again, Upper City Taris wasn't really great, but it was better than the dangers that might await in the Lower Cities.

The hull began to get hot, and soon, flames licked the side of the escape pod. Waiting till the last possible moment, Carth glared determinedly at the metal platform that was the Upper City. At the last chance, he yanked the wheel towards his body, sending the pod hurt along for the ground.

The pod hit hard, sending its riders slamming forward into their safety belts. Oryn's head went so forward, and then slammed into the headrest so hard, Carth feared she may have a concussion. From how her head bobbed to the side, it was clear that she had gone unconscious.

Carth felt his heart stop as the pod screeched closer and closer to the edge on the platform. Only when it fully stopped did he release the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

Unlocking himself from his seat, he held onto the seat as gravity tried to pull him to the left side of the pod. He cleverly made his way over the chair until he was standing on its side, and closer to his companion. He reached for the release button on her belt, and prepared himself to catch the woman. She fell limply into his waiting arms, and he was shocked. '_How much does this girl EAT? DOES she eat?_'

Gripping the weightless woman with one arm, he pulled himself and her onto the topside of her chair, and rammed the door open. He peeked out, just in case. No one was around, yet. Looking for a place to run, Carth spotted a building not too far away. He only hoped it didn't hold Sith or other enemies.

He somehow managed to pull himself, and the female out of the pod. He shifted her into his arms so he was carrying her princess style with her head was on his shoulder. He dashed for the door and it thankfully was unlocked, because Sith patrol just started to arrive on the scene as the door hissed shut.

"**Refugees?"** An Ithurian stood in the hall by the door. Carth nodded his head, breathing hard. His muscles screamed at him to put the, now heavy girl, down.

"**Then quickly! Follow the hall that way! The third door is an empty room. You may hide in there!"** The Ithurian pointed down the left hall.

Carth merely nodded again, still trying to gain control of his breathing. He followed the directions the Ithurian gave, and as luck would have it, the room was empty, except for the few beds, a simple couch on the right wall, and a table by the windows.

Carth walked to one of the beds, shifted the girl in his arms so he could use one of his hands, and pulled the covers back before laying her down, to his relief. He gently pulled the blanket over her, which wasn't great, but still usable and warm. She began to shake and sweat beaded on her forehead. Her breathing became ragged, and before Carth could do anything, she sat up in fear, and nearly hit him with a back fist. Had his reflexes not been so good, she would have hit him square in the jaw. He gently held her hand and quietly whispered, "You're safe. Sleep. You'll feel better when you're rested." Her eyes were glazed over, so he wasn't sure she heard clearly, but her breathing slowed and she seemed to relax. Her eyes began to flutter closed again, and she fell back down onto the bed. Before her head hit the pillow, she mumbled, "You too."

Carth looked at her, curious as to if he heard he right. She was already dead asleep, and he could feel his body screaming at him to rest too. _'A few minutes could hurt.' _He thought to himself as he moved to sit on one of the red chairs by the door. _'Once I rest a minute, I'll scout the area. Make sure it's safe and defendable. Maybe then ask around about the other escape pod.'_

His eyes slowly drifted closed and he fell into a deep sleep.

-dream pause-

Screaming. In the blackness, he heard screaming. It became louder, and louder, slowly coming into focus.

His eyes shot open to the blinding sun shining through the window. The screaming was coming from the bed. The woman he had saved was thrashing about on the bed, screaming for what something to stop.

He ran to the bed, and shook her shoulder to try and rouse her. Her cheeks were already stained with tears, but the flood of tears coming from her eyes seemed never ending as she cried in fear.

"Please! Please, stop hurting him! Leave him alone! Please! I'll tell you anything!" She pleaded desperately.

"Wake up, Oryn! It's just a nightmare!" Carth said gently. _'Wait a minute! I don't know her name yet! I shouldn't know her name yet!_' Pushing that confusing thought aside, he continued to shake her until she woke up. In fear, she flung off the bed away from him.

"Relax, Oryn. It's ok." He said slowly, crossing the room and crouching down next to her. He got a strange sense of déjà vu, but pushed that thought aside with the other one.

"It's ok, Beautiful. You're awake, and you're safe." Carth said soothingly as he rubbed circle on her back to calm her.

She suddenly looked up, her face no longer had tear stains, and she didn't look like she had been crying. Rather, her face calm and serene as she looked to him. She gently placed one of her small hands on the sides of his face, and brought her lips to his in a gentle kiss.

She pulled back, but she could still feel her breath on his tingling lips.

"You need to wake up." She said quietly.

"Wha..." Carth began to ask as he opened his eyes. Her hair and cloths were covered in sand and she had a cut on her forehead that hadn't been there moments before.

"You need to wake up." She repeated. "You need to save me." The last two words echoed around him as he realized it was just a dream.

"Wake up..." Her voice sounded heavenly as black invaded his vision of her.

* * *

Sitting up, Carth knew something wasn't right. Dream-Oryn said to save her. But from what? He had already promised the he would protect her, and though he didn't tell her, that also meant laying his life on the line if necessary. What could she be in danger from now?

Both nervous and curious, he made his way to Oryn's room and heard her. She wasn't yelling, but it was louder than her normal voice. Though the door muffled some of it, it sounded like, "No! Leave me alone! I never... For this!"

Opening the door, he saw the restless Oryn thrashing around in her sleep. Sighing quietly, he went to her bed and shook her arm. She bolted upright, sucking in a breath. Once she realized where she was, she let it out and relaxed a bit.

She looked at Carth, and patted the edge of the bed. Carth nodded and sat down by her, resting a hand on her knee as she simply breathed. It had become routine ever sense Taris as both awoke in the night because of nightmares.

"Carth...?" Oryn whimpered, barely a whisper.

"Yeah?" He asked quietly.

"If I were someone else, someone who had done horrible things, would you still be my friend?" She asked; her eyes paralleled that of a worried child as they looked into his.

"You are... An amazing person, who I believe could never do something 'horrible', because you fight against it every chance you get! Even the small injustices of the worlds we visit, you fight them. Remember the woman we encountered when we first arrived?" She nodded her head, "You gave her seven *hundred* credits, even though she only asked for five. A horrible person would say no, but you went above and beyond. That's why I would still be your friend. It doesn't matter if you did one thing wrong in your life, because at heart, you make up for it. Everyone in the galaxy would benefit from you if you went near them. You're a kind and caring person, and I'm glad that you call me friend."

Oryn wrapped her arms around Carth's neck and held him tightly. He paused before wrapping his own arms around her waist and returning the much-needed hug.

As she pulled away, she gently pressed her lips to his cheek and whispered, "Thank you." She lay back down and closed her eyes. She held a small smile on her lips, and Carth could help it as the corners of his mouth curled upward. He tucked her in and as he left the room, he heard her quiet snore.

On his way back to his own bed, Carth's fingers mindlessly touched the spot that still felt strange from Oryn's kiss. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a while, not sense... Not sense he left his destroyed home in search of the man that caused the destruction.

The smile never left his face as he lay back down in his own bed. _'For once,_' he thought, '_I might actually get a restful night's sleep!' _


End file.
